Puzzle



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK D. RETTIOH, OF CINCINNATI, OIIIO.

PUZZLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,613, dated May 13, 1890.

Application filed April 19, 1889. Serial No. 307,744. (No model.)

T0 to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK D.-RETTICH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a new Puzzle; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figuresof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to toys for entertainment purposes, and is gotten up in the shape of a puzzle, which will be more fully explained hereinafter, and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a top view wit-l1 cover removed. Fig. 2 is a Vertical section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top view of the whole in its covered condition. y

5 is a suitable base of pasteboard or wood.

(5 is an upright wall serving as a body for the box, and at the same time forming, in conj unctionwith partitions '7, compartments 8.

9 are openings in the partitions 7, and 10 are imitations of cornstalks or shrubbery of a similar character, made of wire, wood, or pasteboard, arranged as shown in Fig. 1, and secured to the base 5.

11 is the cover, having on its outer side the directions for working the puzzle.

12 are balls, (marbles preferable,) corresponding in number with the compartments and of a diameter so as to enter easily through openings 9.

The body 6, I make in the shape of a star, because the two sides of the points of the same assist me in forming the compartments 8, and at the same time enable me to make the whole in one piece of pasteboard, for instance, whereby cheapness of manufacture-- a vital point in such devices-is attained.

The idea underlying the puzzle is as follows: The marbles are to represent cows which have escaped from the stalls (represented by compartments 8) and got into a corn-field, the stalks of which are represented by 10. The problem is to drive the cows each back again into the stalls by manipulating the box in such a manner that the marbles roll through openings 9 into the compartments 8, so as to have finally a ball in each compartment.

The puzzle might be further complicated by having half of the balls differently colored and alternate them in the compartments-that is, have one ball of one color in one compartment and in the next one one of the other color, and so on.

I claim as new 1. In a puzzle, as described, the combination of a base, a body rising therefrom completely surrounding the central space and being formed into a number of compartments open on one side, a number of imitations of cornstalks or similar shrubs 10, arranged in the space surrounded by the compartments, and balls corresponding in number with the compartments, as shown and described.

2. In a puzzle, as described, the combination of a base, a body rising therefrom completely surrounding the central space and being formed into anumberof compartments open on one side, a number of imitations of cornstalks or similar shrubs 10, arranged in the space surrounded by the compartments, balls corresponding in number with the compartments, and a cover preventing the balls from falling out when not in use and carrying the directions, as shown and explained.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK D. RETTICII.

Witnesses:

CARL SPENGEL, L. O. BLoeK. 

